Not Now, Not Today
by FurryFeet
Summary: Merry and Pippin. What do they go through during the last battle of RotK? How do they cope being seperated?


Hi, this story is dedicated to my dear friend Leah. Who, I sadly did not get to be with for the premier of RotK. She's on her way from Tennessee now to see it with me though. This is part of her Christmas present. I know some of my facts are probably wrong, but it's more book centered than movie centered. It's the idea that counts. I wrote it fast so I'm sure there are misspellings and all and grammar probs. Oh and Pippin POV is first then just regular story like stuff.  
  
(Title) Not Now, Not Today (Rating) PG-for sadness and serious moments. (Summery) Merry and Pippin in RotK. (Disclaimer) The are Tolkien's characters but it's my story line.  
  
"Are you going to bury me?" That was not what I wanted to hear. But Merry was just going to say it wasn't he? Though I knew I wasn't going to burry him.wait I could have had to, I suppose. "No Indeed!" I answered him, cringing. I helped him the best I could but he was bigger than I and heavy. I sent Bergil for Gandalf and struggled a little while longer. "Merry I can't carry you myself, lie down here." I told him easing him down in my lap. Many times he had carried and held me as a child, it wasn't supposed to be his way. He wasn't supposed to be mortally wounded; he wasn't supposed to fight that murderous monster. He was grimy and the dirtiest I had ever seen him. His blood was frighteningly red against the rest that was mostly black. Merry's eyes were closed but I kept my hand on his chest to make sure he stayed with me.  
  
Those beautiful golden curls were reduced to ashes it seemed and gashes ran down his arms, one arm worse than the other. I lifted him a bit to bring him closer. If he was going to die he would do it in my arms, I would have it no other way. "Merry, talk to me." I encouraged him; I didn't like his silence, it frightened me beyond words. "P, Pippin." He started but couldn't finish breathing as if he could hardly take in the air. "It's ok Merry just don't close your eyes." I told him trying not to cry. "I won't." Merry answered me, brave as always. He moved his good.well compared to his other his good arm to clutch my tunic and let his head rest on my chest but didn't close his eyes. "Gandalf is coming Merry, I sent the lad Bergil for him." Merry smiled when I said that, I wasn't sure why. "You.you made a friend with a little. boy." He whispered almost laughing. "Aye, I did and don't make fun. He thought me a lad he had to prove himself to at first." A moment later Merry's eyes drifted to close and I rubbed his forehead to stop him. "No Merry don't." I whispered. His eyes came back open to look at me. "I'm still here Pippin." He told me gruffly, well he tried to say it gruffly but under the circumstances it came out in more of a painful gasp. "Well, it's hard to tell Meriadoc Brandybuck, you're near dead now you know that?" I gritted my teeth at him and he smirked. "Oh Pippin.don't cry." He said apologetically as clean trails made their way down my face. "I'm not." I sniffed. "It's ok, I am too." He said lower than anything else he had said to me. And for the first time since Frodo was sick I saw his blue gray eyes flood up again. Clean streaks ran down his black, ashen face and I was reminded of how real and yet far away it all seemed. He kept his eyes open then, because I wouldn't quit watching his tears. "Peregrin!" I heard Gandalf coming down the cobblestone road towards us. "Gandalf, here!" I called out and the rest is hard to remember.  
  
I do remember though seeing him lying in the healer's care. I wanted to be close to him but they wouldn't allow it, or as they said; "Not yet." And so I waited as rumor grew that I might be needed in the next battle. Sadly my duty came first in these matters and I sat down in front of the door where they couldn't move me until I saw him. ____________________________________________________________________________ _______________  
  
"You understand that he needs quiet and rest?" The woman tried explaining again while she led Pippin down the hall. "Yes, yes, let me see him." Pippin squirmed. "Then enter this door, we have set him apart, you will not be bothered." She finished and opened the large wooden door. When the door was closed behind him, Pippin was able to see little more than a towering poster bed at the end of the room. "Oh sticklebats. How am I supposed to get up there?" Pippin asked him self gruffly. Instead of grumbling though he immediately retrieved a chair and began to attempt the climb. "Merry." He whispered as he peered over the coverlet. "Hm?" Merry's moan came from under a mountain of covers. "I'm here to see you Merry." Pippin tried, hoping his cousin would comply. Merry opened one eye and peered at Pippin's eyes showing just above the coverlet. "Well get up here silly Took." He said in a gravely voice that reminded Pippin strangely of the old hobbits back home. The ones who ignored them and said they would amount to nothing. Well that's not true now. Pippin thought to himself as he climbed up onto the bed to sit by Merry. There was ample room in the human sized bed, room enough for at least 2 more hobbits to sleep quite comfortably. This thought reminded Pippin of Frodo and Sam, he still knew nothing of them after Faramir had seen them. Merry noticed Pippin's sudden downcast face and huffed. "Now Pippin Took, I know I'm not fit for mischief, but at least I'm alive!"  
  
Pippin laughed. "Oh no Merry, I've never been happier to see you." Pippin stopped and became serious. "I'll never play another prank again if only I can stay with you." Merry sighed and looked back at Pippin and than smiled. "Ah, there's no need for all that. You can stay with me. We'll plan our pranks together." "I'm so tired." Pippin said, his eyes falling. "How long have you been awake silly?" "How long have you been here?" "Sweet Mercy Pippin! You need to sleep." Merry drew the blankets over his cousin and shoved his head into the human sized pillows, being careful of his bandaged arm and chest. Pippin protested under the down. "What's that? I think the pillow is trying to speak to me." Merry laughed. "I said." Pippin said pushing the huge pillows back. "These pillows are too big!" "But they're so soft." Merry sighed, fluffing his under his head. "I think I'll use this one." Pippin said, pulling a small decorative pillow from the pile. He shoved the rounded pillow under his head and closed his eyes. Moments passed of silence and Pippin was nearing sleep finally for the first time since Merry had come back. "Merry?" Pippin whispered but got no reply. Pippin reached out his hand and felt Merry's bandaged chest lightly. After feeling a steady throb, Pippin sighed contentedly and fell asleep. ____________________________________________________________________________ _____________  
  
Hours after Pippin had fallen asleep next to his cousin, a slit of light appeared and slung it's self across the dark room. The door had been opened and another of the healers was confused to find two hobbits where she had only left one. But before she could react to this problem an old familiar hand laid upon her shoulder. "Let the halflings sleep." Gandalf began. "For the other will soon be needed for more perilous tasks." "Yes, Mithrandir." The woman answered and turned to leave. The door was shut and Gandalf was left in the candlelit room. The old Wizard sat quietly in a large chair near the window and watched as soldiers and men hurried back and forth in the dusk below. Only the soft murmurs and slow breathing could be heard from the two sleeping hobbits as Gandalf sat in thought deep into the night. An hour before sunrise Pippin lifted his head and yawned, he was about to lay his weary head down again when noticed Gandalf's form in the chair near the window. "Gandalf?" The small hobbit asked the darkness. Gandalf heard and turned to the silhouette of bobbing curls. "Yes Peregrin. Have you slept well? I'm sure you duties have been covered while you slept in hiding." Gandalf chided. "I slept beautifully thank you and I didn't shrug my duties off entirely on purpose." Pippin said, still trying to recover his voice from sleep. "Hm.I suppose Merry made you do it?" Gandalf laughed. "If you must know the truth, yes." Pippin answered seriously. "I was thrown back in time, when neglecting my chores was no such problem, when I saw him again." "Understood Master Hobbit." Gandalf relented but cleared his throat, never a good sign as Pippin had come to see. "What is it now?" Pippin asked in exasperation. "What else could possibly be going wrong?" "Peregrin, your still under oath to Denothor.or Gondor." "Yes, so?" Pippin asked agitated. "I'll return to the guard after Merry awakes." "No Pippin.The tower does not need you.but Gondor will require your service in battle tomorrow.today." Gandalf corrected as he saw the beginning of the sunrise. "Today? Go with Gondor.me?" Pippin gasped. "But.But Gandalf! I'll be trampled or sliced in two! There is no way I'll return." Pippin panicked in shock. "Merry returned. He is alive though not the same." Pippin looked over and saw his sleeping cousin in the pale morning light, barely able to draw his next slumbering breath. "I suppose I must.when?" Pippin said turning to Merry again. "An hour after sunrise." Gandalf said standing. "I will be there." Pippin sighed. "Please, allow me some time with Merry. I won't be late." "I'll believe it when I see it Peregrin Took." Gandalf laughed again and left. Pippin sighed once again and lay back down. After a long time of thought Pippin brushed his cousins hair to wake him. "Merry." He started but was answered with a sigh, one that was fully awake. "I heard." Merry whispered for he didn't trust his wavering voice with any more at the moment. "I'm so sorry Merry, I want to stay here, I do." Pippin whispered back, his emotion sparked by Merry's own inability to talk. "I.I only just got you back Pip. And now." Merry reached out and traced the silver tree on Pippin's black tunic, the symbol of Gondor. "This silly old tree is going to take you away." He finished and closed his eyes. "I'm coming back though." Pippin said hopefully. "Your tune has changed since you spoke with Gandalf." Merry huffed. "Either be honest with him or me Pip, which is it?" "Well fine, I'd love to spend our last hour together arguing as well." "Pip." "Oh no you don't, Meriadoc Brandybuck! Yes I'm petrified of all those Men and their horses, all the spears that are four times my size and the arrows that are as tall as both of us. And no, I don't really think I'm going to come out of all that with anymore than a few last breaths to my name. If anything I'll make it back to say goodbye, but that's the best I can really and truly hope for.. Selfish old Hobbit" He mumbled as he finished. Merry was silent as Pippin came down from his anger. Pippin was even surprise at himself for bursting so. His eyes calmed and the green turned soft again. "I'm sorry Merry." "No, I am. Your right, you're afraid, I'm afraid, the last thing to be done now is mewl over reasons why." "Forgive me then?" Pippin asked offering his arms to his cousin. "Oh Pip, I forgive you for everything you've done, everything you just did and everything I don't know about yet, just come back to me.even if it is to say goodbye." Pippin laughed. "Oh I do hope it isn't. I've so much to tell you when I return." Pippins sighed. "Not now?" Merry asked. "No. Now let me lay with you till I have to leave." Pippin said softly and buried his head under Merry's neck. "You know all those mornings when you knew that it was coming. Time to get up I mean? How it feels?" "Yes." "Well, this is the worst type of that feeling I've ever had." "Oh, Merry what a depressing thing to say." Pippin laughed. "Say something funny." "Hm." Merry thought. "Oh...yes.oh dear. Um.Pip would you mind if I made a confession?" "Well seems the best time, go a head." Pippin sighed. "Before we left, Diamond asked me a question.." Merry trailed off. "And." Pippin encouraged. "Well, I mean I would be the one to ask.anyone would ask questions about you to me cause well it's as good as asking you anyway.and she didn't want you to know and well I didn't' want to lie see, cause I knew we'd be leaving to help Frodo and I certainly didn't want her to go off and do something she'd regret later, seeing as how I didn't know how long we would be gone." Merry went on rambling like this for a few more seconds until he felt Pippin's hand clamp his mouth shut. "Merry, what -did -she -ask -you?" Pippin pronounced each word as if he was speaking to one of his unlearned cousins. "Well, I don't remember her exact words, but she wanted to know if you had said anything about her to me." "Excuse me?" Pippin said. "What's that supposed to mean?" "Pip! You silly Took! She wanted to know if you liked her!" Merry burst into laughter. Pippin's brow furrowed and he frowned. "How childish! She knows I like her, I told her so." "Oh Pip you know girls want to hear it from someone else." Merry snickered. "What did you tell her?" Pippin asked suddenly revealing a smile that Merry hadn't seen since their last farm raid. "Ha! I told her you weren't interested." Merry said, matter-a-fact-ly. "Merry." Pippin warned. "I've told you a million tim." "Oh Pippin! I told her you really did like her and she'd be a fool to chase after anyone else. And you know it!" Merry laughed. "Oh." "Let's just hope she'll still have someone to wait for after tomorrow."  
  
"Merry."  
  
"Pippin."  
  
"I hope she doesn't mind waiting a little longer once we get back. I like her but I'm certainly not ready or of age to marry her." "Good point Pip. Don't you dare rush this! I want a few more years of mischief myself. And I can't do that on my own." Pippin began to laugh historically. Merry frowned. "Well..I may as well confess something to you." He said still laughing. "I told Lilia Proudfoot that you were desperately in love with her!" "You didn't." Merry gasped. "I did!" "Peregrin Took! That lass is the fattest, ugliest hobbit in the Shire!" Merry said in disbelief. Pippin only kept laughing. "Oh Merry you have nothing to worry about! She's after Frodo anyway!"  
  
The laughter died down in a hurry. The severity of the situation had been forgotten for a moment. But reality came crashing back down in seconds. A sad moment of silence filled the huge room. A pale pink light filtered through the window. It would probably be all the light they would receive on this dreadful day. The candles had burned to nearly nothing and soon several flickered and died. Merry pulled Pippin closer and sighed in his newfound sleep. Pippin was awake though, thinking solemnly on his coming duty. It was almost time. The shortest hour of Pippin's life had now gone, fleeing like fall wind past the trees. The younger hobbit turned to face his cousin. He had the fleeting thought of not waking Merry but thought better of it when he reversed their situations in his head. "Merry." Pippin whispered and touched his face softly. "Merry, I've got to go." He strangled out sadly. Pippin slid carefully into the chair and onto the floor as Merry opened his eyes. Merry pushed himself up and made to slide off as well. "Merry, now you stay up there." Pippin chided. "Oh leave me be Pippin." Merry growled and slid onto the floor next to Pippin. "Look at you." Merry whispered. Pippin looked up from lacing his shirt. The chain mail shimmered in the fading candlelight. "What?" He asked in confusion. "All that armor and such. You look like a great elf warrior." Merry smiled. "I most certainly do not!" Pippin laughed. "You most certainly do." His cousin answered. Pippin turned to grab his belt and cautiously covered a blush of embarrassment. Within moments Pippin was dressed and ready to leave, but his feet would not move. "I don't want to leave." He sighed. Merry took his hand and pulled him toward the door. "Come on then, I'll go with you." He said and tried to push the large door open with his one good arm. "No, no Merry, I'll do it." Pippin said pushing the door open with little effort. Much to Merry's indignation. The two lone hobbits made their way down the long corridors of the houses of healing towards the gate where the army was assembling. When they rounded the corner and saw row upon row of mounted soldiers, Pippin quailed and backed away slightly, only noticeable to Merry who was touching his side. Merry reversed several inches to whisper to him. "Pip, don't be afraid. These are the good guys." He half laughed, but sobered when Pippin gritted his teeth in return. "Pippin now really." Merry started, turning his cousin to face him. "You've got your sword?" Pippin nodded mutely. "And your helmet?" Another nod "A shield?" Pippin shook his head. "No shield?" Another shake. "And why not?" "I'm.too small." Pippin finally spoke, looking quite interested at his feet. "Stay behind Gandalf then, he repels anything." Pippin laughed only to let out a sniff. "Aw Pip don't cry." "Oh Merry I'm sorry." Pippin said throwing his arms around Merry. "Oh calm yourself, It's ok. Just come back all right? And I'll forgive you for making such a scene." Merry glared at the confused humans passing by. "* sniff * ok." Pippin said letting go. Merry placed a kiss on his forehead, spun him around and gave him a shove in the right direction. "Now go on, the sooner you leave the sooner you come back aye?" Merry called after Pippin who was bumfuzzeledly walking towards the soldiers, looking back every few seconds. "Go on." Merry mouthed, making the gesture with his hands as well, like encouraging a child to make new friends. Pippin walked up to Shadowfax and tugged at Gandalf's boot. He was soon hoisted up to sit behind the old wizard, who really paid him no mind as he spoke quickly with the officers. Pippin looked back for Merry. He was peeking from behind a nearby wall, hoping no one would notice that he had left his bed. Pippin, looking Merry's way, was totally unprepared for the blast of horns and the hurried gallop of the horse and nearly missed Merry's last wave goodbye as the regiment left swiftly through the gate.  
  
It was hard and it was long for Merry, who being sent back to his room, was moping in darkness, refusing to eat. The day had not lightened, and it had been hours since they had woken.  
  
Merry began to feel as if he was drowning in a sea of forgotten memories, things he had not thought about since they had happened. And he was remembering in such detail that it occurred to him he should record it as soon as possible. So the hobbit climbed from his bed and recovered his pack from the floor, where he had stowed his journal. "Now." Merry said. "I've found this, what about ink?" He finished looking around and it seemed the healers where not in a habit of supplying ink for the wounded. Merry huffed and trudged to the door. He opened it and was greeted by Eowyn who was only walking past. She looked miserable and Merry noticed this. "My Lady, are you feeling well?" He asked concerned, forgetting the ink for a moment. Eowyn smiled in return. "Only as well as you Merry, which is not very well at all, I suppose." And her face fell again. "I only want to return to battle with them, to finish what I started." Merry frowned as he opened his door wider. "You finished it My Lady, you did, and the Witch King is gone." Merry tried but felt defeated as Eowyn kneeled in front of him. "But don't you see? They've gone without me." She said, looking as sad and as grieved as she had on the fields. "Yes, I see. They have gone without me too. And they've taken my cousin!" Merry said in anger not realizing. "And they've taken my brother!" Eowyn answered, mirroring Merry's own anger. "And I can do nothing." She said sadly. "How are you coping with this new fear brave hobbit?" She asked. Merry thought a moment. "Oh.I was going to write.sudden memories have taken me and I think it would be right to record them as I remember now.but there is no ink in my room." Merry finished. "Oh.a small problem easily fixed." Eowyn smiled. "A more troublesome problem though is your arm.you intend to write like that?" She said touching Merry's bandages. "Oh." Merry said, as if he had just thought of it, which he had. "I'd forgotten." The hobbit hung his head. "I suppose I'll not write." Merry turned to go back into his room. "Wait, Merry." The woman said after him. Merry stopped and turned with tears. "Yes?" "I'll write for you, if it is alright. My arm is quite well and I've no problem writing now. There is nothing better to do at any rate." She finished and awaited his answer. Merry thought a moment in disbelief that the woman had offered. "Yes, that would be nice." The hobbit finally said in slight happiness. Eowyn turned to rush down the hall and returned with quill in hand and a fresh jar of black ink. Merry smiled as she passed him and made her self comfortable in the chair where Gandalf had sat hours before and Merry climbed into his bed. "Where shall we start?" Eowyn asked. Merry handed her the leather bound book and showed her the page where he wanted to begin. "I suppose I shall start with the first present I remember Pippin personally picking out for me on his birthday." He said and Eowyn dictated it perfectly but then frowned. "On his birthday?" She asked confused. "You mean yours?" She said, ready to scribble over the word. "Oh, no on his." Merry said. "I must say that IS odd." The woman came back. "No of course it isn't." The Hobbit replied. There was silence and then Eowyn laughed. "I do believe we have hit a very large difference in our customs Merry." Merry laughed as well. "I assume you give presents to the person having the birthday?" "Well of course, isn't that the way it's done?" "Not in the Shire." Merry said thoughtfully. "Well, it's a very honorable custom, I say." She said and closed the subject. "Do continue."  
  
I suppose I shall start with the first present I remember Pippin personally picking out for me on his birthday. Earlier in that year, Pip was 17; Bilbo had come for a visit to Buckland and shared plenty of stories while he was there. He told of his ring and how it made him disappear, so Pippin in his creativity stole my wooden napkin ring, the one with my name on it and lost it in the river, trying to make himself disappear. So for his birthday he begged my Aunt to help him replace the thing. But when she refused to buy anything more than another wooden one he took it upon himself to write to Frodo, who somehow or other was able to find a silver napkin ring and with the help of a silver smith in Hobbiton had my whole name engraved on it! I was shocked and surprised to receive such a gift on his birthday and especially when his mother made it clear she had not helped him in the least. It was the begging of many more meaningful gifts for years to come, Pip never gave me anything without something behind it.  
  
Eowyn smiled as she wrote the last line of the first entry and looked up for direction. Merry was smiling to himself and so far away in his own thoughts that it triggered a similar reaction in her. Moments later she cleared her throat. "What next Merry?" She smiled. "Well, I'd like to try and remember all that happened from when I got here to when Pip left. That will be best I think." Eowyn smiled and skipped several lines to begin. And she wrote every word as neatly as possible in the common speech of Middle Earth, mindful of ever abbreviation and every exclamation, every pause and every mention of tears. For an hour she wrote. Pauses were frequent because of lapse of memory or because of the clarity of one. By the last sentence Eowyn was near tears, hearing Merry's account of he and Pippin's last moments together. "That is beautiful Merry." She told him as she added the last word, she cringed at it; Death. "But you do know Merry, to love beyond death is a very honorable love. It is something so dreaded yet it is a wonderful thing." Merry sighed. "Oh yes I know." He said. "I just don't wish to do so now." Merry finished and sighed again, pulling his blankets over himself, shivering as the night began to take over. The moon was not visible in the darkening sky. But Merry knew it was there, somewhere waiting to come out. "Merry." Eowyn began, rising from her chair and handing Merry his journal. "I'm going to my room to rest. But as soon the trumpets sound for the return of our those we wait for, I'll be waiting to accompany you to the gate." With that she left as elegantly as she had come and left Merry alone in the gathering darkness.  
  
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It was early the next morning when Merry was woken from a pleasant dream by a loud noise, blasting out side. It took the Shireling several groggy minutes to pin point the cause of the noise: trumpets. The army had returned. There was a knock at his door and he rushed as fast as he could with his injuries to open it. Eowyn was waiting. She was neither joyous nor cold, but unwavering as she took Merry's hand and the descended stairs out into the road to the gate. Moments after they arrived the gates opened and cheers erupted as the horses came through. Merry and Lady Eowyn stood against the stone wall, awaiting firstly Gandalf. Soon Gandalf road past but without hailing either of them he rushed past and on into the city. It was then Merry noticed the sky had become clear and the sun was shinning, he started to hear the joyous news that the war was as good as won and that the Ring must have been destroyed, for the sky was blue again. This lifted both the Woman and hobbit's spirit. But word from or of Pippin was all Merry wanted. Within minutes the last of the horsemen where through the gate and Eomer was with them. Merry was indeed happy for Eowyn and smiled as her brother dismounted quickly to embrace her. But he stayed behind and dared a look out of the gate to see nothing but wagons behind the last horsemen. Eowyn, concerned again for Merry's emotions turned to watch as the hobbit crept past the gate to see. "Eomer, there was another hobbit with you, Merry's cousin. Where is he? If he is dead, please tell me, Merry will hear it from me and no one else." Eomer shook his head. "I know of him, but I'm not the one to ask, all that is left to come are the dead and wounded." He said motioning past the gate to the coming carts. Eowyn smiled despite her fear. "Go brother, celebrate, and do not fret, I'll see to this." She instructed and left her brother. The sun was shinning, it was true, but a cold wind blew Eowyn's hair and she was at a loss for words as she stood nest to the hobbit in the gate. Again she took Merry's hand and led him out of the gate. "Come, we will look together." She said coldly and the walked out to meet the wagons.  
  
It became obvious early on that Pippin was not one of the able bodied soldiers who drove neither the hitched horses nor one who was seeing to the wounded. "I don't want to burry him here." Merry's voice was very soft and far away. Eowyn was surprised at his solid words. "Merry, don't speak of death yet, let us wait and see."  
  
Finally they saw a face they recognized; Gimli. "Oh, Master Dwarf!" Eowyn gasped. "So good it is to see you well." She greeted still holding the hobbit's hands next to her, who said nothing. "I suppose your searching for that rascal cousin of yours?" Gimli said gruffly. "I am." Merry said sadly. "Where is he?" Gimli smiled. "Don't get all sad now. He's alive!" Gimli exclaimed. Merry's eyes suddenly lit as they never had and he scrambled to climb the wheels and to see Pippin. "Now he's alive but a bit unconscious I'm afraid." Gimli finished more coldly. Merry rushed to Pippin's side as Eowyn climbed carefully up and sat next to the dwarf. Pippin was there, breathing and alive. But his eyes where closed and his head and lolled to the side as in sleep. Merry's tears ran afresh when he touched his cousin. "Pip." He called softly, but to no avail. "What happened?" He asked the Dwarf. "He was crushed by a troll, his wounds from before that are a mystery to me but I pulled him out from under a troll by his hairy foot." Gimli said sadly. "I spoke with a healer and he says that when he wakes he'll only be sore, but when he wakes there's not a clue." Merry looked up to Eowyn. "Will they let him stay with me?" He asked. "If I have anything to do with it he will." She said smiling. "I do want to help Merry.I want to see those green eyes you made me write about soon." She finished. Merry smiled widely and continued to hold Pippin close and speak to him, hoping on all the righteousness that had overcome today that Pip would awake and be whole again.  
  
Before they got much close to the gate they saw Aragorn, striding quickly on his horse towards them. "Gimli!" He hailed and came up close to ride next to the wagon. "Give Pippin to me." He said and they did so precariously. Pippin was put carefully on Aragorn's horse and he prepared to leave. "Strider." Aragorn turned at the familure name. He saw Merry watching him from behind Gimli. "Where are you taking him?" He asked, worried. "To the houses of healing Merry. Here." He reached out his hand. "Come and hold him for me as we ride." Merry did so and off they went, leaving the woman and the Dwarf to tend to the others. Aragorn's horse sped under the huge gate and up the winding paths as quickly as it could. Merry heard murmured elvish from him to his horse as they hurried along. When they reached the doors, Aragorn slid off the saddle and reached for Pippin, who Merry had a hard time keeping steady. The man took him and hurried up the stairs, leaving Merry to struggle up them, behind him, on his own. Merry was only moments behind Aragorn when he reached his room, but it seemed that he was hours late, for every healer he could remember seeing was running around in a panic, not just for Pippin but for others who were laid near by. Pippin had been laid on Merry's bed and Strider was removing the mail that had bruised into his skin. The patters of the metal stayed behind even when it had been taken away. Merry was still too short to see anything that was happening and with some great willpower he sat on the floor at the foot of the bed as everyone ran back and forth seemingly oblivious to he and his plight. He sat and thought, it seemed that all was well and that the war had been won. But oh, if he were the only halfling to return to the Shire, what a dread and misery it would be. A knock sounded on the door and several of the women rushed to answer it. A young boy showed his face and looked quite concerned upon seeing Merry alone, but upon remembering his duty he asked to see Aragorn. The healer chided him and said to give the message to her, but the boy was steadfast and said the message was for him alone. She relented and allowed him in. It was then Merry recognized Birgil, the boy Pippin had sent for Gandalf, apparently a trustworthy lad. The boy came to Strider's side and stopped at seeing Pippin lying cold before him. "He will be alright lad." Aragorn said quietly, seeing the grief pass over the boy's face. Birgil shook his thought and leaned in to whisper to the man. A smile took Aragorn that Merry had never seen and Birgil, taking a last look at the hobbit ran back out of the room quickly. Aragorn gave some last instruction to the healers and came to Merry. "Merry." He got his attention. Merry looked up sadly. "Pippin will be fine, but the sooner he wakes the less problems we will have. I want you to go up there and talk to him, till he wakes." Aragorn stopped and thought. "I must now tend to Frodo and Sam." Merry looked amazed. "No Merry, you won't be the only hobbit to return to the Shire." He smiled and lifted Merry onto the bed with his cousin. "No you keep talking till he wakes up and send word to me." The man said and quickly left. Merry began to cry as he looked at his unconscious cousin. Black and blue chain marks covered his arms and chest and blood had been halfheartedly cleaned from his head. Merry began to talk, for hours he talked as Strider dealt with Frodo and Sam. He was nearly out of words to say when one green eye popped open and stared at him. "Merry." The voice was old and sad but it was Pippin's and nothing could compare with it.  
  
Merry soon sent word for Aragorn and Eowyn. They both came, accompanied by Faramir and talked for a long time with the hobbits. Aragorn told them what he could about their friends and that they, like Pippin, would soon wake and the hobbits would be together again. Pippin's wounds had healed nearly unnaturally fast because of Aragorn's skill and both Hobbits where proud to serve for the great feast to celebrate the victory of the age. And finally, hobbits where hobbits again and nothing more.  
  
"They'll never stop eating." Aragorn sighed as he left the dark pantry of the kitchens of Gondor, leaving Merry and Pippin in the dark to eat. "You speak as if we can't hear you old man!" Merry called after him, taking a large bite of and apple. "Oh yes, Eowyn told us how old you are. Why that's worse than us!" Pippin laughed. "Well, I would much rather hear your annoying voices than have peace forever." He stated and left in laughter. "Well, you very nearly had it!" They both screamed in unison.  
  
THE END  
  
Please, please, please, please review! Furryfeet 


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